Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To: The Associate Dean of Studies;
Due to extenuating circumstances beyond my control, I am appealing to drop GRMN 102 (2011, Winter), CISC 101 (2011, Fall), WRIT 125 (2011, Fall), HIST 261 (2012 Winter), PHIL 115B (2015 Winter), and convert HIST 125B (2011 Winter), FILM 240 (2011 Fall), ENGL 100 (2014, Summer), FILM 110B (2015 Winter) into course credits. Else I would like to appeal The Faculty of Arts and Science¿¿s decision that I must withdraw for a minimum of three years.
I was diagnosed in 2012 with depression at which time it became apparent that I had been living with this disorder untreated for some time. I have submitted medical documentation of my condition to the Faculty of Arts and Science via an Academic Advisor. During the time before my diagnosis I had developed poor habits such as disorganization as well as a tendency to simply walk away from situations of high anxiety. In the case of HIST 125 and ENG 100 this would result in scrambling to write papers 12 hours before they were due. My GRMN 102 suffered as, depression makes it hard to concentrate and communicate in english let alone another language. In all of my courses my depression caused a strained relationship with professors, as many viewed missing assignments and absent attendance as the results of a ¿¿party first¿ mentality, when in reality I almost always was simply hiding in my room. During my second year hiding became even easier and as pressure grew so to did my anxiety. After winter break, I simply stopped going to class out of complete fear. I returned in the Fall of 2014 because I thought I was fully ready, but without creating new organizational habits the cycle repeated. These poor habits have lessened in recent years, however they have had a clearly detrimental effect on my grades. My depression causes high level of anxiety which left untreated can lead to a breakdown in communication, organization, and productivity on all fronts of my life.
I have now sought therapy for my condition and I am participating in weekly sessions with my Therapist. I am also currently on a steady schedule of medication. This along with the recent addition of a substantial support group of friends and family, has given me some amount of control over my depression. Most importantly I have finally decided on a clear goal to work towards. Having something to aim for and complete. Over the summer I¿¿ve been independently learning to program in a multitude of computer languages, and I¿¿m good at it. Discovering this new ability has changed a lot about my outlook, and having a passion has made me vastly more productive. However pursuing that choice would be difficult given the damage that my depression has done to my academic status. For these reasons, I would like to return to Queens, to pursue my passion unhampered by my condition.

Sincerely, Christopher Seemann 06300532